You Have a Visitor #indielicious

Hey, guys. Sorry I missed my post last week. My family and I have been working tirelessly on our garden and backyard chickens. Yep, you heard me right. We're raising backyard chickens. To be fair, we have three acres. So . . . I'll post pictures of the cute little babies sometime soon.

Anyway, last teaser post I left you in Derick's POV. This week we're back in Abby's. She's home from the hospital . . . and maybe a little bored, and Derick just called her.

Enjoy!

~"Listen, your dad called me—"

"What?" I nearly dropped the phone. If my dad called Derick, it couldn't be for anything good.

"Calm down. He basically said if I break your heart, he'll break me."

"I'm going to kill him—"

"Your father loves you, Abigail. But he also said if I want to spend time with you, to stay near the house, or always keep you in my sight. I guess rescuing you earned me some bonus points." I heard him grinning through the receiver. "I think we should stay away from the woods for a while."

"But—"

"It's not safe, not while those guys are still out there." His blinker went off again.

"Where are you?"

Derick laughed, warm and comforting and incredibly sexy. "In your driveway."~

I love these two kids. :-) So sweet.

Make sure you check out all the other awesome Indie-Licious talent!

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Friends & Lovers Trilogy

To promote the release of the Friends & Lovers Trilogy, Bethany Lopez is giving away a Nook, an autographed skin for the Nook, and an autographed paperback of Friends & Lovers. Enter through the Rafflecopter, and earn more chances to win by following everyone who is participating in the promo on Twitter!

Friends & Lovers is Make it Last, I Choose You, and Trust in Me, and includes a bonus ending for each couple.

Check out the Awesome cover by  Allie B Books

You can buy Friends & Lovers here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bethany Lopez

Friends & Lovers Trilogy/Stories About Melissa Series

IAN

Webpage

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

My Books

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Jerky Boys #indielicious

Do I even need to tell you what today is? Didn't think so. Happy day-that-shall-not-be-mentioned-day.

I'm bringing you another teaser from Shattered Secrets. I mean, really, would you expect anything else? I entered this bad boy into a contest the other day, and I've been biting my nails ever since. You can yell at Jessa Russo, Mom and Dad. It's all her fault.

Anyhoo. Last week, Derick visited Abby in the hospital, and before he left, he gave her a note that she hasn't quite had a chance to read yet. Now it's her turn to talk to Mark. He's already made a snide comment about the roses Derick left for her . . . .

Enjoy!

~"What are you sorry for?"

"Abby, you're in the hospital, and I'm hounding you about Derick. I'm acting as selfish as he is—"

"Selfish? How is Derick acting selfish? I was kidnapped, and you're in here talking about who I'm dating—or not dating. The only person acting selfish is you."

"Abby?" Mom stood in the doorway, scary-parent gaze settled on Mark. "Do you need a moment?"

"No, Mom. Mark was just leaving." I glared at him, trying to imitate the hardness my mother offered, that cold calculating sternness all adults seemed to have mastered.

He stood and leaned over the bed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me like Derick had. "Those roses, whatever piece of paper you're clutching in your hand—these are his attempts to get back on your good side, Abby. Open your eyes. There's a whole world around you that you refuse to see."

"Get. Out."~

I'd say Mark better watch out. Abby is a fighter.

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Dreamscape Cover Reveal!

When Christie Rich told me she was looking for help with her cover reveal tour, I jumped at the chance. LOOK AT THAT COVER!

Very pretty, and makes me want to know what the heck she has in her hand. Right?

Check out the blurb:

Every night before Amelia falls asleep she makes a wish to dream of him – the man who calls her to their beautiful private oasis, her sanctuary where she is free of her greedy landlord’s threats. But tonight, he will not call Amelia to him. Tonight, another man will step into her world to claim her. Tonight, Amelia’s shattering reality will crumble - and disappear into the Dreamscape…along with her freedom.

When Amelia dreams tonight, her nightmare becomes her new world where Seth is her captor and anything is possible…except escape. Seth needs Amelia to break the curse that binds him to the Dreamscape. He must convince her that she was made to free him, that she was made to join him.

For if he fails, he will never escape his prison, and he will lose Earth to the Netherworld where the evil Erobos wait to consume the human realm and everything in it. If he fails, Seth will lose the one thing that matters to him: Amelia.

Doesn't that sound AWESOME?!

I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing. My love for reading is what fueled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I am enjoying family time with my husband and two children. I also dabble in painting but writing has taken over my creative time right now.  I hope to get back to it at some point in my life, but I'm not sure when I'll have time for it.  My family and I live in a quiet community  in Northern Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.

Where you can find Christie:

Website  l  Blog  l  Goodreads  l  Pinterest  l  Twitter  l  Facebook

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Smoke is Never a Good Thing #indielicious

It's Sunday, which means it's time for another little teaser from Shattered Secrets. Yep, you either love this day or hate it. :-)

If you visited last week, you know Miss Abby tried escaping, only to fall off the couch and break her shoulder . . . but, Boredas, the nicer of the two kidnappers--if you call kidnappers nice--performed a painful inspection and discovered her shoulder was "merely" dislocated. OUCH, right?

He's told her a few things that make her totally think he's a cuckoo, and then, well, this happens:

Psycho number one startled and glanced toward the back of the cabin. "I'll be just a minute. Don't try to get away again."

Oh no. The other crazies must have arrived.

There was no escape. Even if my hands were free, I couldn't run with a dislocated shoulder.

I closed my eyes and waited. Time ticked by. I listened for sounds, for a car pulling into the rocky driveway, for the rustle of wind in the trees, for the mice in the walls, for anything to take my mind off the pain, off the fear. Every shake hurt more, my shoulder throbbing harder and harder, my pulse pounding in my ears. Every second brought me that much closer to the end.

Sniffling, a new scent greeted my nose. Not the smell of rotting flesh, but a smell of burning wood. Maybe the nicer of the two murderers realized he should keep me warm. Maybe kindness truly existed in him after all.

Opening my eyes, I looked at the fireplace, but no orange light or sparks there. The smoke formed dark gray clouds overhead, blanketing the ceiling. Bad turned worse.

"Help. The house is on fire. Please, get me out of here."

So, this isn't good. Not at all. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

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Random Acts of Kindness

Well, I decided to share a little love with another giveaway hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Read For Your Future.

I'm not giving away a book this month, but I am giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card that you can buy a book with!

So, have fun and play along.

~Krystal


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Pass the Ear Plugs! #indielicious

We've reached the third week here on Indie-Licious's blog hop. I'm having fun reading all the entries!

I hope you guys have enjoyed the teasers from Shattered Secrets. I'm going to up the ante a bit this week and show you some interaction between Abigail and her abductors. She not only realized they were a bit too into role-playing games, she also figured out they meant to kill her . . . wasn't hard when they talked about it right in front of her.

Enjoy!

~Footsteps. Heavy, fast footsteps. They stopped right in front of me. A clammy finger trailed from my temple to my collarbone.

Trembling broke free of my control.

"I thought you might be awake. You should not eavesdrop. It is rude."

I opened my eyes and faced the men, anger filling every inch of me. I was going to die anyway. "Kidnapping, stuffing a girl in a trunk, punching said girl and tying her up on a couch with intent to kill her is rude. Me overhearing you say all that is unfortunate."~

Abby is definitely a fighter! Let's hope her mouth doesn't land her in worse shape. Check back next week! And make sure to visit all the other Indie-Licious authors!

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Summertime Dreaming #flashfiction

All I wanted to do was ride my bicycle, but the snow prevented me from stepping foot outdoors until I dressed in layers of warm clothes. I missed the sun, the energizing warmth on my head and skin. I missed the green on the trees and the sounds of spring peepers singing their evening songs.

Last night's storm system packed a powerful punch, blanketing the streets and lawns in a fresh layer of white powder. Ensuring I wouldn't see the blue sky for at least another day while the clouds lazily passed.

Instead of daydreaming all morning, I donned my coat and headed outside to chisel ice off my car's windshield. I had work to do. Bill collectors to pay. Traffic to navigate. And there would be a ton of that. Always.

Snow crunched under the weight of my boots as I plodded to my Jetta. I unlocked the doors and dug around the glove box for my scraper. Service receipts. Owner's Manual. Insurance cards. What's this? Why is my title in here?

Ugh. I had to get better with organization.

Ahh. Finally. I grabbed the purple and clear plastic ice machete and hacked away at the glass while the heater warmed the inside. Once I was satisfied I'd be able to see, I wiped my hands, and went back in the house to grab my purse and coffee.

My husband greeted me in the family room, still in his pajamas, wiping sleep from his eyes. "What are you doing?"

Same thing I do every morning, Pinky: Taking over the world. "Going to work."

He laughed and walked to the kitchen, straight to the coffee pot, then poured me a nice hot mug full. "Do you know what today is?"

"Monday."

Nodding, he held the coffee out to me. "Yes. That's right. But it's something else, as well. Think about it."

The man was off his rocker. Totally looney. "I'm going to be late! Tell me the rest of this joke later."

"Fine, but when you get to work and remember it's Martin Luther King's Day, don't say I didn't try to warn you that the office would be empty."

Sigh. Maybe today would be a good day to get organized. I ran out and turned off my car, removed the umpteen million layers I wore, and went back to daydreaming about the sun.

Summer would be here soon enough. Right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During the Let Me Reintroduce Myself Blogfest, I met Carrie Sorensen. She told me about her weekly picture prompt blog hop. So I decided to join, having no idea it was not only a picture prompt but there were words I HAD to use in my flash fiction piece (Bill, chisel, title, system, bicycle)

I managed to complete an entry. YAY! I had a great time. I think I'll play again next week.

~Krystal

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Uh-Oh #Indielicious

Well, this week kicks off the first ever Indie-Licious Teaser Blog hop. Today I'm sharing more from Shattered Secrets with you. I'm allowed a little more than six sentences, so hang on!

If you remember from two weeks ago, Abby ran away from her kidnapper, into the cornfield, but she's not much of an athlete. After a few falls, she stops to catch her breath and figure out a few things.

Enjoy!

~My lungs burned, and my pulse raced in my ears, thrumming to a beat I'd never heard my blood thrum before. I needed to figure out what direction I was heading. I needed to listen for the highway, for any clue to help me out of here.

"You shouldn't have run," someone behind me said, but it wasn't my captor. This voice sounded deeper, ominous, and very close to my ear.

Warm, humid breath greeted my skin, raising the hairs on my neck.

Shaking rocked my core, and cold prickles of fear raced to my fingers and toes. Turning around wasn't an option. Running wasn't either. He stood too close. If he was armed . . . Oh, God, I really am going to die.

"We were paid to deliver you alive, but no one ever said we couldn't hurt you."~

EEP! This does not sound good for poor Abigail! Make sure you check out the entries from other Indie-Licious authors!

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The Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest

Thanks to Susie Levine for spotting Wilde's Fire on Stephen Tremp's blog (thanks to you, too, Stephen!), I'm now participating in this amazing blogfest.

I'm supposed to tell you a bit about myself. I don't like talking about myself, really, but here goes:

I'm 28 (4 times over), am married, have three amazing children, and own a whole herd of pets. My real name is not Krystal Wade. I may as well tell you all that it's Krystal Dehaba. Wooo. Big secret. Honestly, my biggest regret in my writing career has been to take on a pen name. Mostly because I feel like I lost me when I took it on. Now that we have THAT out of the way . . .

I am a political account jack-of-all-trades by day and mother, wife, and writer by night. Meaning no insult to my day job, I prefer the mother/wife/writer. I'd love that to be full time, but alas, it has yet to pay . . . well. I live in the culturally and historically rich state of Virginia and have been here since 1997. Before, I lived in a place that shall-not-be-named. Long-time readers of my blog can probably figure that out.

Speaking of the blog, I quite honestly don't know what mine is about anymore. I started it to share pieces of me with the world. I wrote a lot of short stories about my childhood, a lot of current stories from my every day life, and a bunch of flash fiction. Then I did a shameful amount of self-promotion. Then I did a lot of nothing. Then I shared the promotional love. Now, I mostly just post about my kids or things I've done with my family over the weekend.

I miss my flash fiction. People seemed to like it. Maybe I'll do some more of that in 2013. Or maybe I'll try to write more books.

By the way, I've written three (SELF-PROMO!!). But this year I'm really struggling to write. I've always enjoyed allowing my creative side to roam into blue fields of tan butterflies (???), but there is a story I need to write that's making me question what kind of writer I really want to be. Do I want to continue with fiction? Or do I write the very real, very painful story of my teenager years as a piece of fiction for the world to see? What do I want the world to learn from Krystal Wade--err, Dehaba?!

What does the world want from me?

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Stuffed in the Trunk #SixSunday

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday season. I know I enjoyed my family and friends and wish I were still sitting at home in my comfy chair! But . . . I'm not. Well, I probably will be by the time you're reading this.

This segment comes from Shattered Secrets, right after a strange man abducts Abigail Nichols from her family's front porch.

Enjoy!

~ I knew two things: my head hurt, and I was stuffed in the trunk of a car traveling down a bumpy gravel road. Dust floated all around me, the millions of tiny particles glowing red from the taillights. Someone's dirty laundry must have filled the duffel bag my head rested on; the smell would have cleared a skunk out of a room. My wrists were bound behind my back, and I was gagged.

Even if I could scream, my voice would have been useless. We were driving, probably in the middle of nowhere.~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wilde's Fire            -           Wilde's Army              -            Wilde's Meadow

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Wildest Moments Blogfest Announcements

Well, guys, the time is here. It's time to announce the WINNERS of my Wildest Moments Blogfest. You've followed along, you've played in the games, and you've even written some amazing stories.

So, without going on and on, I'll make these announcements!

The grand prize winner of the Kindle Fire ($199) is PK HREZO!

Why did I pick PK's story out of all the others?
Well, for one, she up and TOOK OFF to escape oppression from her fiance (how come I can't get that little thing to go over the e, huh?)  And what a JERK he was. So, congratulations to you for changing your life while vacationing in Europe. You have courage, girl, and I applaud you for it! (By the way, this story made me cry!)

The runner-up/winner of the Kindle Fire Skin ($25 value), and someone who've I come to realize is so much like me it's scary, is Tamara from OneMagicBeanBuyer.

I picked Tamara's story, mostly because I thought it was extremely brave of her to write about her "hard" times. But these hard times we go through shape who we are now, and frankly, I think Tamara is awesome.

And last, but certainly not least, the third place winner of Wildest Moments ($15 Amazon Gift Card) is Courtney Worth-Young.

This was another tear-worthy entry!
Courtney ran away from home, much how I did, but for very different reasons. She made a life for herself on her own, fought for what she believed in, and she was successful. I don't recommend teenagers all just up and run away if they think they're parents are jerks, but if you deep down know you have to get away, you should follow your instincts, and Courtney did.

So, ladies, please shoot me an e-mail at krystalwade70 at yahoo dot com, and we'll discuss the details of your prizes.

<3 Krystal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wilde's Fire ~ Wilde's Army ~ Wilde's Meadow

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And You Are . . . ? Blog Hop

While I'm trying to figure out the winner of my Wildest Moments Blogfest and while I'm waiting for GoDaddy to officially move my domain name to this blogger site, I thought I'd play a little game.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once eggnog hit the shelves, Mrs. Claus thought it’d be funny to “juice up” Santa’s drink. Now the jolly elf is passed-out after one cup, and Mrs. Claus can’t keep up with the pre-Christmas demands.

So, to find those most deserving of Santa’s toys, Mrs. Clause asked Emily and Tammy for help. And so was born the “And You Are . . .?” Blog Hop!

My interview:

1. How many speeding tickets have you gotten?

One. I was 16 and on my way to my brother's house in Mansfield, Texas. I was wearing a Santa hat, and pretty packages were stacked precariously in the passenger seat. I sang at the top of my lungs--something I still do--and had a huge smile on my face . . . until the lights behind me started blinking. I thought for sure the cop was going to pull the guy over who'd just blown by me like I was sitting still, but no. He pulled ME over. I cried. Like a baby. I was driving 77 in a 70, and it was Christmas Eve, and the guy knew half my friends and family--and I still got a ticket. Jerk.

2. Can you pitch a tent?

Of course. This is how it goes: "TJ, honey, can you put up this tent? Use Kid #1 if you have to. I'll be reading a book. Thanks. I love you."

3. What was your worst vacation ever?

I hear Jeopardy music . . . I can't seem to think of the worst vacation. In fact, I have pretty awesome vacations. Not sure I have anything for this. :-)

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100?

Thing? Like one singular item? Cause I spent over $100 on groceries yesterday. Hmm. I'm going to have to say a pair of Keen boots. They are freaking amazing, and they were really expensive, and I will wear them forever.

5. We’re handing you the keys to what?

1972 Super Beetle, fully restored, dark blue or deep purple. I can never decide.

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick?

Funny enough, it wasn't something that I'd cooked but that I'd reheated from my brother cooking the night before. It was tacos or something, back in 2001. I wound up in the hospital.

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like  ____?

This is kind of out of my league. I don't think I talk about people this way. (Insert Halo)

8. What was your first car?

Well, the first car I drove regularly was a 1982 Audi 5000 Turbo-Diesel. My dad bought it off a man who'd let the car sit in a field for 10 years. The floor was rusted out. The leather seats were split, but dammit, it had a sun roof!

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she’s okay or laugh first?

Laugh while helping the idiot up. :-)

10. What’s the worst song ever?

I can't think of any songs I loathe . . . though I'm sure they exist.

Curious to see the answers of other participants? Check out the full list of participants.

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Wildest Moments

Wildest Moments Blogfest!

WILDE'S MEADOW comes out next Monday. Can you believe it?

Me either!

You may have to pick me up and smack my face! Three books published within six months of each other . . . I better get back on track here.

So, I have 4 weeks of giveaways and blog tour posts planned for the month of November. (Full tour and contest info is at the bottom of this post.)

Beginning the second week of November--that's the 12-16--I'll be hosting the Wildest Moments Blogfest. This is something anyone, anywhere can participate in.

All you have to do is blog about a time you did something wild, something life changing. Jumped from a perfectly good airplane? Quit your job to write full time? I'm looking for fun, heart-pumping, or inspirational stories that you have experienced. "Wilde" things you've completed on your quest to grow up or move on.

Anyone who posts their Wildest Moments between November 12th-23rd can enter to win a Kindle FIRE ($199), Kindle Fire Skins, or a $15 Amazon Gift Card. Yes, this means I will visit each blog and read your "wildest" moments.

Don’t blog? Put the cover of WILDE'S MEADOW up on your FB wall, pin it on Pinterest, or change your twitter avatar to the cover. Use the words “Wildest Moments” somewhere to go with the picture and link back to this post. (I will still enter you to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card--or B&N--and all three Darkness Falls books on December 5th)

Sign up for the blogfest in the LinkyTool below (and make sure you grab the Wildest Moments badge to put on your blog).





Full Tour (there are two--A Review and Interview tour through Kismet, and an Interview, Review, Giveaway, Promo tour via ME!) Schedule:

 



November 5th - Jen
November 6th - Pam
November 7th - Hannah
November 8th - Stacy
November 9th - Shreya
November 12th - Damaris
November 13th - Jessica
November 14th - Susan
November 15th - Benji @ The Non Reluctant Reader
November 16th - Colette at A Buckeye Girl Reads
November 19th - Anagha
November 20th - Terri
November 21st - Tori
November 22nd - Laurie
November 23rd - Ana



November 5 - Mara Valderran
November 5 - Matthew Graybosch - Interview and Giveaway
November 6 - Jamie Ayres - Interview
November 6 - Mandy Anderson - Excerpt and Giveaway
November 7 - Johanna Pitcairn - Giveaway
November 7 - Ayden Morgen - 10 Rules for Surviving Encardia
November 8 - Brinda Berry - Biggest Distractions and Giveaway
November 8 - Jaycee DeLorenzo
November 9 - Jessica Wentz - Interview and Giveaway

November 10 - My Blog - Giveaway (ebook FADE, ebook WILD AT HEART VOL2, Romance Trading Cards, THE TRUTHS ABOUT DATING AND MATING-signed paperback)

November 12 - Susie Levine - Giveaway
November 12 - Thea Gregory
November 13 - Kay Froebel
November 13 - Nicole Zoltack - My Favorite Lines
November 14 - Carlyle Pretorius
November 14 - Charity Bradford - Giveaway
November 15 - Talynn Lynn - Giveaway
November 16 - Amanda Foody - Interview
November 16 - Mike Robinson - Excerpt

November 17 - My Blog - Giveaway (ebook ZOMBIE BEDTIME STORIES 1-3, ebook WOMAN OF HONOR, ebook BROKEN DESTINY)

November 19 - Krystalyn Drown
November 20 - Raine Thomas - Excerpt
November 20 - Jessa Russo - Review
November 21 - Vicki Trask
November 22 - Christina McKnight
November 23 - Carrie Slager - Interview

November 24 - My Blog - Giveaway (THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER, ebook BECOMING, ebook EVER)

November 26 - Farrah Sayyed - Interview
November 26 - Debra Kristi - Interview
November 27 - Felicia Wetzig - Interview and Giveaway
November 27 - James Wymore -
November 28 - Carolyn Brown
November 29 - Dawna Raver - Review
November 29 - Sylvia van Bruggen - Interview
November 30 - Lisa Collicutt - Review

December 1 - My Blog - Giveaway (MINDSCREENS, THE GATHERING DARKNESS and Swag)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Haunted Clinic and Wilde's Meadow #TEASER!

Welcome back, Minions--see, that was much better than yesterday's intro!

Some of you are here because you're dying to quench your growing thirst for a glimpse into Wilde's Meadow, the third and final book in my Darkness Falls series. And some of you are here because you're part of the Curiosity Quills Haunted Writing Clinic and Contest.

I'm here because . . . ahh, well, I have what everyone's looking for.

So, to keep the rambling short, and to give you all what you desire, I'll shut up and get to pasting!

Enjoy!

(Clinic guests, please stay tuned after the first page!)

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ WILDE'S FIRE OR ARMY--AND PLAN TO--PLEASE, DO NOT READ THIS TEASER!

Chapter One

"You let that greasy pig off too easily," Flanna mumbles, holding a sharp, wooden needle between her lips.

I glance down at the top of her red head. "If it weren't for that greasy pig, you wouldn't be sewing this ridiculous looking costume on me right now."

She removes the torture device from her mouth and glares at me, narrowing her brilliant blue eyes. "This is not a costume, and it is not ridiculous. You already died once. Next time you may not be as lucky."

Three days have passed since Arland and I committed our lives to each other, to these people and world—uniting everyone in the process—and as much as things have changed, a few of my friends still have issues getting over misunderstandings from a long time ago.

"Flanna, I know what happened to your mom, and I know you blame Dufaigh, but he is trying to be good." I jump from the creaking stool she has me standing on like an abused model, then take her hand in mine. "He's brought leather and metal for you to make armor for me, like you so oddly requested. He hasn't threatened to kill anyone, he hasn't argued, he hasn't done anything that should make us think otherwise."

She huffs, blowing hair from her face. "I know. I believe that is my problem. I have never trusted him, but now with him being . . . nice, I trust him even less." Flanna grabs the soft, muddy-brown suede draped over my shoulders and pulls me closer. "Now, hold still so I can finish this."

I roll my eyes and suck in a breath. I don't think I can handle another needle prick; I already have dried blood spots sprinkled over my shoulders.

"Flanna?" I watch her slide the pointed wood dangerously close to my skin.

"Kate?" she says in her usual sarcastic way, the one I've missed since Lann died. Prophecies or no prophecies, most people are still clueless as to their future, the fate of their friends, family, and loved ones. Flanna didn't have time to prepare for Lann's death, and his early end wasn't fair, but her panicky attempt at creating armor for me—when she is clearly not a dresser—makes me wonder what she does know.

"What are you hiding from me?"

Flanna growls.

"You seem so nervous about my safety all of a sudden. I mean with the armor, and never leaving my side, and—"

She shakes her head. "You—"

THE END! :-)

Wouldn't you all kill me if that was it?

Anyhoo, Clinic Guests, what did that first page do for you? Now, you have to remember this is the third in a series. I have a bit more room to move on with the story, but if you read the first page of the first novel in this series, you'll know that moving forward quickly--sucking the reader right in--is the best thing to do. And what better way to end a first page than with a big question?

I want you to get out there and WOW your readers!

<3 Krystal



 

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First Page Success - Haunted Clinic

Hello, my pretties--err . . . wrong villain! Since Frankenstein didn't do anything other than moan, I'm going to have to channel more "HE'S ALIVE" enthusiasm.

Hello, YOU'RE ALIVE!

I give up.

So, part of the Writing Clinic is the First Page example. The first page of a novel can turn out to be the most daunting page. This is where you have to capture the attention of your audience. This is where you establish who your main character is, sometimes the problem within the story, and this is where you need action, emotion, excitement!

What you cannot put on your first page is a back story. My name is X, and I live in Y, and Z is what got me to this point in my life.

If that's how your book starts out, you have a lot of revisions ahead of you.

Okay, enough of my rambling. This is the first page of Wilde's Fire, which is also the Prologue!

Enjoy!



I'm standing in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by tall wheat grasses. Dotted along the hillside are thousands of purple and yellow wildflowers. Bending down to pick one, I catch sight of him. Tall, strong, with looks piercing straight through me.

Stepping away from the dark shadows of the forest, he crosses into the
meadow, then stops in front of me.

"Katriona." He utters my name as if there's no other name in the world he'd rather speak.

"Arland."

He reaches out to hug me, the way he has so many times before. His workworn
hands warm my skin with their touch. He leans in, closes his eyes—

The sun disappears. The sky turns black. Emerging from the forest, gray
beasts with hollow eyes surround and watch us. Before Arland can turn and fight, a mangled creature rushes forward, then stabs him through the heart with a long, dagger-like claw.

My screams fill the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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My Successful Query

Welcome back, Mad Scientists. Hopefully you've all been working on your Frankenstein's--aka queries--and you're noticing lots of improvements in your creations.

As promised yesterday, I'm here to provide you with my successful query. This short letter earned me two acceptances . . . on the same day.

Now, I want you all to know I edited this a tad before it went on my actual book. So below this successful query, I'm pasting the final version.

Enjoy!

Dear Ms. XXXX,

 “There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.” – Katriona Wilde

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. She’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will she discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Full of love and loss in 95,766 words, Wilde’s Fire is the first of a three-part fantasy written with young adults in mind, but has the potential to span across many age groups. I’ve attached the synopsis, prologue and first three chapters for your review. Your time and consideration are appreciated.

With Respect,

So I've tweaked that little query/blurb to read this way:

"There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most." - Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she's ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she's dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate's forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What's worse, she has no control over her new future, and it's full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Hope this helps!

<3 Krystal



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Frankenstein's Laboratory - He's Ali...err, Successful

Is your query ALIVE? Do your words create tingles in the fingertips of the editor or agent reading the short-better-make-an-impact-fast synopsis of your book?

God I hope so.

Queries are hard. Submitting your query is harder.

My first piece of advice is this: Make sure you know who you're submitting your manuscript to. If that agent/editor has zero interest in your type story, don't waste your time. Do your RESEARCH (Like any excellent mad scientist!)

My second piece of advice: Know your story. Nothing worse than a query that's all over the place.

Third piece (you know you want it!) and this happens to be the best piece of advice I've ever received: Write 1 sentence for where your MC is at the beginning of your story and 1 sentence where she/he is at the end, then go back and write three sentences that are your main three plot points. Once you have this "outline", go back and write a few transition sentences that get you from each of your 5 sentences. None of this has to be perfect; just get the idea out there. Clean up as required. :-)

That's it for now. Tomorrow I think I'll post my successful query!

Don't forget to say hello to my fellow villains!

James Wymore - Dark Brain, master of hypnosis, seeking Darkling minions

Court Young - The House of Gaunt (pure bloods only)

Dawna Raver - The Mystical Masters

Gerilyn Marin - The Phantom Court

Thea Gregory - The Zombie Culinary Institute

Mike Robinson - The Mighty Minotaurs of Metaphysics

Krystal Wade - Frankenstein's Laboratory

The Criminal Masterminds - Visit the Curiosity Quills blog today for an interview with criminal mastermind contest judge, Andrew Buckley.

This is a Blog Hop!



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